Jaffna City Library
The Jaffna City Library ( Tamil யாழ் பொது நூலகம் ) in Sri Lanka is located in the capital of the Northern Province . The building from 1959 is in the Hindu-Gothic style. The library was initially built as a private collection in 1933 and continuously expanded by the citizens of Jaffna. Many historical documents were archived on palm leaf manuscripts and the library became an important cultural asset of the country , also with the help of the Indian librarian and advisor in the early years, SR Ranganathan . In the 1980s it was considered the largest library in Asia with over 97,000 books and manuscripts . In 1981, an arson caused by an organized Sinhalese mob irrevocably destroyed large parts of the extensive book collection , including works by the philosopher Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy . There was no indictment or conviction of those responsible under the UNP government at the time . During the civil war that followed, there was further damage to the structure of the building and the existing structure. Under the presidency of Chandrika Kumaratunga , the library was rebuilt with international donations. Over 25,000 new books were procured. The building was completed in 2001 and reopened in 2003. A Sarasvati statue can be seen in front of the entrance .
See also
Web links
Coordinates: 9 ° 39 ′ 43.7 ″ N , 80 ° 0 ′ 42.4 ″ E